Acclaimed Actor William Hurt Passes Away at Age 71

Oscar Winning Actor William Hurt Has Died

This past Sunday evening, the news was revealed that one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, William Hurt, has died.

His career was one many actors would aspire to achieve. It was announced that Academy Award winner William Hurt died of natural causes at age 71 this past weekend on March 13th. Hurt won an Oscar for 1985’s Kiss of the Spider Woman where he played opposite Raul Julia. While that performance may have been his most showy role, he also had critically acclaimed turns in great films such as Altered States and The Big Chill during the early part of his distinguished career. He went on to earn Oscar nominations for future performances and appeared in many highly regarded pictures for the remainder of his working days.

Hurt’s performance in Children of a Lesser God from 1986 was another turn that earned Hurt an Oscar nod. A powerful love story, that picture also featured Marlee Matlin of this past year’s indie gem CODA, and was an audience favorite which earned a solid “A” from CinemaScore audiences upon its initial release. Matlin was said to have been in a relationship with Hurt which also led to claims of abuse by Matlin. This aside, Matlin still praised the actor and feels sorry for the loss.

Hurt was especially great in ensemble pictures. In 1987, Broadcast News won the hearts of America. That film, directed by James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets) also starred Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks and was one of the most acclaimed films of its year. For that film, Hurt earned another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1998, Hurt was featured in the film adaptation of Anna Quindlen’s One True Thing where he played opposite Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger. As a college professor who has cheated on his wife in One True Thing, Hurt turned in one of his most delicate and nuanced supporting performances. That film also earned a coveted “A” CinemaScore grade.

Other noteworthy roles Hurt has played includes a turn in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 horror film, The Village, which divided audiences for its complex premise of a father who sends his blind daughter into the woods to get medicine for her dying lover. The Village earned just a “C” CinemaScore but earned over $100 million at the domestic box-office. Hurt earned yet another Academy Award nod for his supporting performance in 2005’s critically acclaimed film directed by David Cronenberg, A History of Violence. Hurt recently appeared in a small role in the box-office hit, Black Widow which earned an “A-” CinemaScore mark.

Hurt had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. He achieved greatness throughout his career and one may want to see one of his most underappreciated dramatic films, The Doctor, which was released in 1991 and also received an “A-” CinemaScore grade. It dealt with a doctor’s relationship with a dying patient and was one of the most moving turns of Hurt’s slate of terrific movies. To mention all the great films Hurt appeared in is impossible in this short space but he will forever live on in moviegoer’s opinions as one of the most brilliant performers to have graced the screen during the time he was the most prolific in films.

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